A New Threat: Android 21?
by kiera-sama
Summary: They come from the future, bearing bad news to the Z fighters, a new threat is on the horizon. The boy, Trunks, and a mysterious girl who bears a remarkable resemblance to our hero? Deleted accidentally, and re-posted. Sorry. :P T until later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z. It is owned by Akira Toriyama. I make no monies on this story.

Authors Note: Some parts of this chapter have been taken from the anime as I'd forgotten what was said. No copyright infringement is intended.

The wind blew, strong and hot across the rocks, disturbing the dust and dirt that had accumulated on the plateau over the years. The sound of a capsule rang through the air, and clattered onto the ground. A calloused hand scooped it from the rock.

"It doesn't change much around here does it?" A female voice intoned casually.

"No. It doesn't." Her companion replied. "So...shall we go?"

The girl nodded as she rose into the air. With a burst of speed, they took off into the sky, flying over the desert. Soon though, they felt an unmistakable ki.

"It seems as if Frieza and his father have approached the earths atmosphere." She said sullenly.

"I see." The boy replied, seemingly deep in thought. "Do you want to take care of the problem, or shall I?"

The girl thought for a moment. "You can have the honors. I think I'll just watch the show from over there." She pointed toward a large plateau ahead of them. "He should be here in around...fifteen minutes, right?"

"Around there, yes." The boy, Trunks, said as they touched down on the yellow sandstone. "It will only take a few minutes, then we'll head to where Goku will land."

"If you say so." She said in an uneasy tone.

"It'll be fine, Shoyu." He said as the warm wind shifted his lavender hair around his face. "I promise."

Shoyu turned her steel-blue orbs to meet his cerulean ones and smiled. "I trust you."

Trunks placed his hand on her shoulder and said, "Just sit tight for a bit, rest up. Frieza will be here soon."

"So will the others." She said with a smirk. "Hurry and go before they see you."

"You're right." He rose into the air and with a wave, flew down the side of the cliff.

Shoyu raised her arms into the air, stretching out her tight muscles, before pulling her long black hair into a ponytail at the top right of her head. The hair fell against her cheek, and just brushed her shoulder.

_Thank god I'm wearing a dress and these stretchy shorts instead of that hot jacket. I don't know how he can stand to wear it in this heat. _She thought as she perched herself on the edge, her legs dangling over the side. She let her head fall back as she leaned on her arms. _This wind feels good._

It wasn't long before Shoyu felt several ki approaching from the west. She smiled softly to herself as she recognized two of them. _Ah, my friends, it's been too long._ She thought as they touched down in a crevice below her. She heard whispered voices, but couldn't make out what was being said. She said nothing, as they didn't seem to notice her yet.

Shoyu ran her fingers through her bangs, as she watched her companion confront Frieza.

* * *

><p>Trunks easily cut down the soldiers, and landed in front of the large ship. "Ah, so. You must be Frieza. I've been waiting a long time to meet you face to face." He spoke calmly.<p>

"Well, we have a guest, it seems." King Cold stated as his son stared at he newcomer.

"Now I'm going to destroy you." Trunks told him.

"Oh!" Frieza gasped, "We'd better run. Isn't that right...father?"

Frieza and his father laughed at him mockingly.

"You don't know what you're up against, boy." Frieza said smugly.

"I know exactly what I'm up against, Frieza, and let me tell you," Trunks said with a smirk. "I'm not worried. Make no mistake, I'm going to finish you once and for all."

"Well," Frieza stated, "You certainly are an arrogant little thing. But you're no match for me. Really. Fighting a worthless little punk like you is hardly worth my time."

"Maybe I haven't made myself clear yet, you're finished Frieza!" Trunks declared.

Frieza ground his teeth as he glared angrily at Trunks, shaking with fury for a few moments before he calmed himself down with a small smile. "Hm. Enough idle talk." He said as he turned his head to the side. "Foot soldier!"

"Sir?" Said a large man, who seemed to be covered with green scales.

"Vaporize this little rodent." Frieza demanded.

"With pleasure!" The man said as his master ordered the rest of them to spread out.

As the men surrounded Trunks, he looked at them and said, "I think it's only fair to warn you guys, you don't stand a chance against me."

"Don't make me laugh, kid. No hard feelings, alright?" He asked as he leveled his blaster at him. "It's time for you to go." With that, the foot soldier pressed the red button on the blaster with his thumb, and shot a bolt of energy.

Trunks easily deflected the blast with a swat of his hand, sending it careening behind him. It crashed into a huge rock, destroying it. The man with the gun shot three times more, and again, Trunks blocked them. He then flicked his hair away from his eyes, before rushing the man, and punching him into the side of the ship.

Frieza turned toward Trunks, smirking. "Well," He chuckled. "Seems as if the little dog has some bite to go with his bark after all."

Trunks just glared at Frieza as his men rushed at him. He easily dispatched them with his sword, before turning to the evil alien.

"I must admit, I'm impressed." Frieza said as Trunks fixed his hair.

* * *

><p>Shoyu glanced down at the hiding warriors, noticing the looks of shock on their faces.<p>

Bulma asked her friends, "Hey! Guys what's going on!"

"I'm sensing another huge power level...and this one...it...it..." Krillin said, stuttering his words.

"And this one makes Frieza seem like nothing!" Tien said in shock.

Shoyu giggled lightly to herself at the looks on their faces. _Trunks...if only you could see this...he-he._

* * *

><p>"What a pleasant surprise." King Cold said as he watched the last man fall.<p>

"You're right father. This may prove to be more amusing that I had thought." Frieza smirked.

"Enough." Trunks said, annoyed. "Now you two are going down."

King Cold laughed. "One thing is certain. If nothing else, this little creature is quite the comedian."

"He is at that." Frieza agreed. "I'll tell you what, kid. Let me give you a piece of advice. He who acquires his skills quickly, is he who is the first to perish."

Trunks smiled. "Hm. Thanks for the tip."

"Why you!" Frieza began.

"Listen up!" Trunks said suddenly. "Now I've got one for you Frieza. Know your enemy. You've already made some pretty big assumptions about me, and that's a mistake that's going to cost you dearly."

"You insolent brat! You should really learn to control your tongue." Frieza admonished.

"Just destroy him already. We haven't got all day." King Cold said, bored.

"Really father." Frieza said, irritated. "Have some patience. I'm only trying to have some fun."

"He's right though. You really don't have all day. More like five minutes." Trunks corrected.

"Well isn't that too bad. And here I've made dinner plans." Frieza chuckled.

"So I've heard. Well sorry Frieza, but I'm canceling your date with Goku." Trunks told him.

King Cold looked from Trunks to his son. "What's a Goku?" He asked.

"Father. I know you're bored, but please try to keep up." said Frieza, mad. "So I take it you know that worthless Saiyan?"

"By reputation." Trunks allowed. "But we'll meet soon."

"Don't be so certain." Frieza stated.

"But I couldn't be more certain, Frieza! Any time now, Goku will be coming home, and only one of us is going to be here waiting for him. Get it?"

"Definitely. As it so happens, I was just about to suggest that very thing myself." Frieza said arrogantly. "It's so nice that you and I can finally agree on something, don't you think?"

Trunks smiled in agreement. "For once you're right."

"So I think all that there is left for me to do is to think of a way to annihilate you." Frieza said with a laugh.

"Enough kidding around. It's time you understood who I really am. So I'll tell you what. I'm going to let the two of you in on a little secret. You're about to find out what it's like to fight a real Super Saiyan." Trunks smirked at the two. "And I'm not talking about Goku."

Frieza and his father stared at him in shock, before laughing. "You crack me up kid. Ah hahaha ah haha! I've never met anyone who laid it on quite as thick as you! Ah ha haha!"

Trunks let them laugh for a few seconds, before grinning. He began to raise his power level, causing their laughing to be cut short.

"No!" Frieza gasped. "It can't be!" The sudden rise of power frightened him, reminding him of the man who destroyed his true body.

Trunks' hair began to flutter as his power flowed around him. He screamed as he forced his ki to raise even higher.

"What is he?" King Cold asked in shock.

"No! It's impossible!" Frieza said, backing up.

* * *

><p>The ground began to shake violently. Shoyu heard Vegeta gasp, and turned to watch them.<p>

"Sounds like the fight's starting without us!" Yamcha called.

"Oh! Somebody stop this thing, I wanna get off!" Bulma cried out as she fell to her knees.

"It might be my dad!" Gohan said hopefully.

"You really think so?" Krillin asked.

"Who else would try to take on Frieza alone?" Gohan asked him.

Vegeta clenched his teeth in denial.

Shoyu stood and stretched. "It's almost done." She said, startling them.

"W-Who are you?" Yamcha asked.

"One of the good guys." Shoyu assured him. "There's nothing to fear. He'll be done in a few minutes."

"Who'll be done in a few minutes?" Gohan asked. "Is it my father?"

Shoyu smiled kindly at him. "No, it's not. But, he'll be here soon."

"Huh?" the group gasped.

"How do you know this, girl?" Vegeta asked her angrily.

"I'm not at liberty to say at the moment, but you will find out in due time, no worries." Shoyu said confidently. "If you'd like, you should come up here. The view is better than that from where you're standing."

They all looked at each other, debating what to do, when Piccolo jumped up and landed beside her. She smiled at him, though she received no kindness in return. The others joined them as soon as Piccolo nodded his consent.

They watched as Trunks' hair rose and stood on end. It flickered twice before turning gold.

"No! It's impossible!" Vegeta snarled.

Frieza shook visibly as he took a step back, causing his father to look at him in concern. "So this is a Super Saiyan?" King Cold questioned as he turned his gaze on the still powering up Saiyan.

"The...eyes..." Frieza whispered in horror. "They have the same...eyes!" he growled in anger as he remembered Goku's pitying gaze on him.

Trunks smirked. "Was it something I said?"

Frieza screamed in fury and threw a huge blast of energy at him. Trunks let it hit him to prove his point. There was a huge explosion, causing smoke and fire to fill the air.

* * *

><p>Shoyu walked to the edge of the platform. "My friend should be about done now, if Frieza's tantrum is any indication. We're on our way to meet Goku." She said politely. "You're welcome to join us, and wait. I'm walking by the way. I wouldn't want to attract his attention when he's trying to fight."<p>

Gohan looked to Piccolo as if to ask what they should do.

"We don't even know who this brat is, I don't trust her." Vegeta snarled.

"I think we should go with her." Gohan said. "She said she knows my dad."

"I hate to say it, but Vegeta's right." Yamcha said. "It's probably a trap."

"Well, if you think it's a trap, then you don't have to come with me," Shoyu said as she began to walk toward the waning battle. "My friend and I need to speak with Goku privately anyway, so if you don't want to follow me it isn't a problem. I just thought you might like to see him sooner rather than later."

As she walked she noticed that the others had begun to follow her. Mostly because Gohan had started after her the moment she left.

* * *

><p>"My, I would say that all rather anticlimactic, wouldn't you? I mean the little runt certainly didn't last very long now did he?" Cold asked as the smoke began to thin.<p>

"Well what would you expect? He was only a..." Frieza stopped speaking, to look in disbelief at the lone figure standing in the midst of the rubble, untouched by flame.

"Is that all you've got? Because if it is then you'd better give up now." Trunks stated calmly. "You can't win Frieza."

"Well we'll just see about that!" Frieza screamed as he threw a huge energy wave at his adversary.

"Frieza!" His father yelled. "You'll destroy us all!"

Trunks let out a cry and held out his hands. He blocked the blast, and it flew off in many different directions, shocking Frieza and his father.

"It looks to me like you're running out of tricks." Trunks said.

"This Saiyan is really something else." King Cold commented.

"Okay, that's two." Trunks said with a grin. "I'll give you one more chance to hit me with everything you've got, and then it's strike three Frieza. Game over. You're out."

"Hm. It's time we put an end to this." Frieza stated as he rose into the air. He raised his finger and formed a small orange ball of energy. It began to grow and grow until it was bigger than his ship. He laughed manically.

"Are you going to finish this or not?" King Cold asked.

"Just watch me! This one's for you father!" Frieza yelled as he threw the death ball at Trunks.

It sank down on top of him, and deep into the crust of the earth. King Cold remarked, "You know son, you could have done this from the start, and saved us a good deal of effort."

"There's just no pleasing you father." Frieza said as he landed on the ship.

They jumped in shock as the ball of energy sinking in the earth stopped. It was still for several moments, before rising sharply from the ground.

"There's no way!" Frieza gasped in disbelief.

Trunks lifted the energy with one hand, as he walked out of the hole it had created. "Excuse me," he asked cockily. "Is this yours?"

"Why you little!" Frieza snarled as he threw a second, much smaller ball of ki into the first, causing it to explode around Trunks.

He laughed as he gazed into the empty crater. His father dropped down next to him.

"Well done Frieza." He said, "It only took you four tries to destroy that little boy."

"I was just warming up father." Frieza hurriedly explained. "Really!"

"Ohohoho. Of course son!"

Trunks stood high above them. He made a few complicated hand movements. "Hey! Frieza!" he yelled as he shot a huge blast at the tyrant.

Frieza and his father dodged the blast easily.

"When I get my hands on him, I'll!" Frieza began. He heard a battle cry, and looked up in horror. Trunks was dropping down to where he was, sword in hand.

Trunks swung the sword quickly, and smoothly. It sliced through Frieza as easily as if it were butter, and he swung several more times, before blasting the pieces into oblivion, effectively stopping any future attempt on recreating him.

Once Frieza was dust, Trunks turned his sights onto his father. They dropped back down to the ground, where they faced each other. Trunks blocked out King Colds voice as he attempted to get him to take Frieza's place at his side.

"You could join me, and together we could rule the universe." Cold said in conclusion.

"Not a chance." Trunks said blandly.

"Don't be so hasty, with a power like yours, planets like this would be mere bobbles in your collection, every world, a toy for your amusement, you could do with them as you wished." Cold said. "No? Well then, grant me this. Might I examine your sword? A weapon of such a caliber begs to be admired. You have nothing to fear from me."

Trunks smiled and asked, "So you want to see my sword, huh? Here, catch!" He then unsheathed his sword, and tossed it effortlessly to King Cold.

Cold examined the sword and smiled. "Yes, yes indeed. What remarkable craftsmanship. I have a hunch though, that you would not have defeated my son had it not been for this sword." King Cold look up at Trunks, "What do you say?"

"Believe what you want." He said.

"Fine!" King Cold said gripping the sword with two hands. " I believe that you are nothing without this sword! Nothing!" He rushed Trunks and swung the sword down.

Trunks caught the blade with his hand, "Heh. So much for your theory." He took a step forward. "You should know that the weapon doesn't make the man." Trunks raised his hand and placed it on Colds heart.

"Wait! You dirty little Saiyan!" Cold screamed as Trunks sent a wave of deadly energy through him.

Cold was blasted backward, screaming as he went, until he hit a wall of hard sandstone. He bounced off it and landed in a heap on the ground, dead.

Trunks sheathed his sword and blasted Cold's ship into hundreds of scorched and unusable pieces.

Shoyu waved as she approached Trunks. "You done cleaning up?" She asked.

Trunks smiled at her. "I am now."

Shoyu smirked. "What took you so long? Maybe I should have taken care of Frieza myself."

"It isn't my fault he's a talker." Trunks defended.

Shoyu turned toward Gohan. "We're going to go wait for Goku now, have you decided on joining us?"

Vegeta looked mutinous.

"It's just over there." Trunks said, pointing to his left. "Follow us. He'll be here in about an hour."

"Well I'm going. They know my dad." Gohan said.

"Possibly. But we've known Goku his whole life." Krillin said.

"I'll go." Said Tien. "They seem pretty cool to me."

"I don't trust them." Yamcha said as he held on to Bulma, where they floated in the air.

"You don't even trust me." Bulma said haughtily. "I say go."

"Definitely." Vegeta agreed. "I've got to find out who those brats are."

As they flew, Shoyu glanced at her watch. She pushed a button, and the screen changed. "Wow. The tracking device still works with the original satellite. You're grandpa rules!" she said happily.

"He's your grandfather now too remember?" Trunks reminded her.

Shoyu smiled. "You're right, as usual. Oh! It's just there." she pointed below them.

"Great." He said as they dropped out of the sky.

Once they'd all landed, Trunks pulled out a capsule. He tossed it and a mini fridge appeared. "You want a cold drink?" He asked. "It's pretty hot and dry out here."

Shoyu smiled and took the lemon soda gratefully. "Thanks." She said.

Trunks opened one for himself. After taking a drink, he said, "You're all welcome to anything in the fridge. Help yourselves."

"Thanks!" Gohan said happily. "OH! There's orange!"

"Count me in!" Bulma said with a smile. "Thanks for the root beer!"

"Not a problem." Trunks said.

After a few minutes, he noticed Bulma staring at him. He glanced at her.

"Um..." She asked. "Have we met? You look so familiar."

"No, sorry." Trunks said.

"Excuse me miss," Gohan asked. "But how do you know my dad?"

"I'm sorry. I've never had the pleasure of meeting him before." Shoyu said truthfully.

Gohan looked confused.

Krillin asked, "Then how do you know he'll be here in an hour?"

"Sorry, I'm not at liberty to say right now." She repeated the phrase from earlier.

"Why not?" Vegeta asked. "I'll tell you why. Because you're up to something! Tell us now, tough guy, who are you?"

Trunks looked slightly alarmed at Vegeta's malice. He exchanged a glance with Shoyu before saying, "I wish I could. Sorry."

Gohan walked up to him. "When you defeated Frieza and that big guy, were you a Super Saiyan?"

Shoyu nodded. "He was."

"That's a lie!" Vegeta snarled suddenly. "Kakkarot, the one you call Goku, and I are the only Saiyans left, Kakkarot's kid there is half Saiyan, so if you count him, that makes three of us. There's no way you could have Saiyan blood!"

"But," Defended Gohan, "He just defeated Frieza and that other guy, he didn't even need our help!"

"I'm calling him a liar, not weak." Vegeta said arrogantly.

Bulma noticed the capsule corp logo on Trunks' jacket. "Hey, you have our logo on your jacket. And you have one on your dress." She pointed out to them, "Are you two some of our employees?"

"Not exactly." Trunks said.

"We just like the way it looks." Shoyu smiled.

"Oh, I see. Well tell me your name, and I'll recommend you to my dad." Bulma said.

Trunks told her. "I can't do that. Sorry I know it's strange."

"Oh, mystery man." Bulma said in a flirting tone.

Shoyu giggled a bit as Trunks blushed.

"Is his shoe size a mystery too?" Tien .

"Yeah, I wish I had a mystery name. I bet he has a secret club house too right?" Yamcha said meanly.

"Hey!" Shoyu said walking up to Yamcha. "He just defeated Frieza for you. And it's not like we forced you to come with us you know! Hell, we could have just sat back and let you fight him alone. Also, if I remember correctly, weren't you saying that you wanted to go home instead of facing him? What a coward!" Shoyu finished, chest heaving, and out of breath.

"Hey, we want answers!" Yamcha said. "You're probably here to hurt Goku when he arrives."

Shoyu smacked him across the face. She glared at him as she returned to Trunks' side.

Yamcha looked at the girl in shock as she perched next to the purple haired boy.

"Poor Yamcha." Bulma crooned. "Did it hurt?"

"N-No." Yamcha denied.

"Darn. You would have deserved it." Bulma said as she went to stand next to Gohan.

Shoyu leaned into Trunks. "Your mother was right on the money. He is a big jerk." She whispered softly. "She was right to leave him for your dad."

Trunks nodded. "I just wish she'd stop staring at me like that." he confided. "It's like...she likes me or something."

"Yeah, that's gotta be strange, your own mother hitting on you. Granted she is a lot younger than we've ever seen her, but still." Shoyu said.

Trunks nodded again. "How are you feeling though?" He asked her. "I mean, you're going to-"

Shoyu held up her hand, stopping his words. She had noticed that Piccolo was staring at them intently. "Crap..." she whispered.

"What?" Trunks asked, worried.

"Piccolo..." Shoyu muttered. "He can hear every word we're saying. His ears pick up things from further away than this, I can't believe I forgot..."

"I don't think he'll give us up though." Trunks said after a moment of thinking. "How about we tell him too...that way he'll know, and make it easier to break the news to the others..."

"That's a good idea." Shoyu said.

"Yeah...so...Piccolo." Trunks whispered.

A twitch of his ear let them know he was listening.

"You heard all that, right? So listen, when Goku gets here can you come with us to talk to him? It's about something very important." Trunks asked.

Piccolo nodded so slightly that no one noticed.

A few minutes later, Trunks stood and looked at the sky. "Goku should be arriving any minute now." He said.

Shoyu stood, slightly excited. The Z warriors stood as well, and watched the sky.

Soon, they felt a familiar ki, and Gohan began to jump up and down. "It's my dad! They were right! Dad's here!"

High in the sky, they saw a round pod, hurtling toward the earth. There was a ground shaking boom, and smokey dust rose in the air.

"Last one there is a rotten egg!" Krillin said.

Gohan took off at high speed, the others following close behind him. Trunks and Shoyu took to the air. They flew at a slower pace than the others, but were still there in a matter of seconds. Shoyu shook with anticipation, and Trunks took hold of her hand.

"It's okay." He told her. "Just breath."

"I'm fine." Shoyu replied as she fingered the bag attached to her belt. "Just fine." She tightened her grip on his hand.

* * *

><p>This is a trial story for the moment. If it gets enough reviewers liking it, then I'll continue it. But my computer crashed, and I can't fix it, so the updates might take awhile.<p>

I hope you enjoy this chapter.

~Kiera


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z. It belongs to Akira Toriyama. I make no money from this story.

Text

"Talking"

_Thinking_

Chapter Two

"I'm fine…just fine." Shoyu said as Trunks squeezed her hand in reassurance.

Together they watched Goku's pod open. As he climbed out, Piccolo noticed Shoyu tensing. Goku's voice cut through his musings. He turned and smiled at his friend.

"Daddy!" Gohan cried out as he rushed to hug his father.

"Hey Gohan!" Goku said as he hugged his son. "Hey everyone! Why are you here?"

"We came to get you!" Krillin said. "It's great to have you back Goku."

"It's good to be back, but, how'd you know where to go? Or that I'd be coming home today?" Goku asked, confused.

"We didn't know you would be here until an hour or so ago." Bulma offered. "Yamcha and the others said they sensed Frieza, so we came here to take him out."

"That's right!" Goku exclaimed. "He passed me on the way here, his ship was a lot faster than mine was. Which one of you defeated him anyway? Piccolo? Maybe you Vegeta?"

Vegeta growled as he turned his eyes away from Goku.

"No?" Goku asked confused. He scanned the group before looking at his son. "Did you do it Gohan?"

"No dad, that guy did." Gohan said as he turned to point at Trunks. "He and that girl knew where and when you were going to land too! That's why we're here."

"How'd they do that?" Goku asked. "I've never met them before."

"He turned into a Super Saiyan when he killed Frieza too!" Krillin told him.

"That's great! To become a Super Saiyan at your age! Very impressive!" Goku said enthusiastically.

"Kakkarot!" Vegeta snapped. "Use your head! You, your brat, and myself are the only Saiyans left alive! He can't have Saiyan blood in him! Surely even you can understand simple genetics!"

"If he said he was a Super Saiyan, then he was Vegeta. I believe him." Goku said.

Vegeta growled angrily.

"Excuse me, sir?" Shoyu asked. "But could we talk to you for a minute?"

Goku gave her a look of slight surprise. "Sure."

Trunks glanced at Piccolo. "Could you come too please?"

Piccolo just nodded.

Together, the four flew to the other side of the crater that Goku's ship had formed.

Trunks dropped from the sky, and landed on the hard ground. Goku followed, while Shoyu waved Piccolo over to her.

When they'd gotten far enough away from Goku and the others, Shoyu landed, Piccolo close behind her.

"There, that should be far enough." She said as she glanced back at Goku and Trunks.

"What is this all about?" Piccolo asked. "Why are we so far away from Goku?"

"Straight to the point, as usual, huh Piccolo?" Shoyu asked with a smirk.

He gave her a strange look.

"I suppose I should start at the beginning. Now, most of what I'm going to tell you, he's telling Goku. There's only one thing that he can't know about me, and that's who I am." Shoyu said. "And before you ask, no. I don't have any ill will towards Goku."

"Then why can't he know who you are? Is your friend going to tell him who he is?" Piccolo questioned.

"Yes, and I'm going to tell you as well. Just please promise me that you won't tell Goku who I am?" Shoyu asked.

"Fine. I won't tell him anything about you." Piccolo agreed.

"Thank you, I knew you wouldn't." Shoyu smiled. "My name is Shoyu, and that is my fiancé, Trunks. We've traveled here from about twenty years in the future. Vegeta was right, in part. As he said, only he, Goku and Gohan have Saiyan blood. Trunks got his from Vegeta, as he is his father. Please don't mention this either, as he might not be born."

Piccolo looked slightly confused, but he nodded. "I won't say anything. But you didn't say why Goku can't know who you are."

"I didn't, did I?" Shoyu asked, more to herself than to him. "As I said, my name is Shoyu, and Goku is my father."

Piccolo gasped in shock. "I thought you looked slightly familiar, and now that I look at you, I can see the resemblance."

Shoyu nodded, "That's why he can't know. I haven't been born in this timeline yet." When she was sure that Piccolo paying attention, she continued. "I'll be born in three years. But this isn't what we came to tell you."

Piccolo nodded solemnly and motioned for her to continue.

Shoyu began, "In four years, an evil scientist named Dr. Gero will unleash two terrible androids. One takes the form of a boy, with long black hair, and his clothing bears the insignia of the red ribbon army. The other, is a girl with long blond hair. She is very beautiful, but also deadly. They both are. You saw today how strong Trunks is, well I'm close to him in power, and the androids are three to four times stronger than us. In our time, the world is in ruins. The androids have destroyed everything and everyone we hold dear.

Everyone died. My father died sometime before the androids had been created, by a lethal heart virus. I never got the chance to know him. The only ones left after the initial uprising, were Trunks and myself…and our teachers. Of the original Z senshi, only my brother and yourself remained. When Trunks and I were five years respectively, you took us to the wilderness, and trained us as you did for Gohan. Once you were sure of our powers, Gohan stepped in, and helped you to train us to the best of your ability."

Piccolo seemed to contemplate this. "How many years have we been fighting these androids?" He asked.

"We've been fighting them for eighteen years," Shoyu said before her face fell. "You and Gohan fought them alternately after Trunks and I first learned the basics of survival and martial arts. Then when we were around thirteen, there was an attack."

"We'd gotten separated…" Shoyu said as she began to remember. "Gohan was with Trunks on the west side of the city, near capsule corp. You and I were on the east side. We'd been flying for a long time, and I was getting tired. We dropped to walk and help who was left, when they attacked us.

They surprised us, came out of nowhere. The girl dropped on us from above, and the boy attacked from the side. The battle wasn't very long. Just as we seemed to be getting the upper hand, they came at us much stronger, and faster than ever. They'd cornered me after knocking you through a building. I couldn't defend against them.

I knew I was done for when they began to charge a huge energy attack. They'd thrown the ki at me and when it was close enough to burn, you leapt in front of me, absorbing the attack as you once did for Gohan." Shoyu stuttered, her eyes filling with unshed tears. "They left after that, believing us both to be dead. You told me, seconds before you died, that Trunks and I were the future, and to protect it as best as we could, and that you were proud of me. You passed on just before Gohan and Trunks arrived with the senzu."

Piccolo stared at her in shock. He didn't know what to make of that. He realized that Shoyu must have been very important to him if he sacrificed himself as he did. He looked at her quivering form and decided then and there, that he was going to get stronger, and prevent her future from coming to pass.

"Shoyu," His gruff voice began, only to be cut off when she suddenly hugged him tightly.

"I'm sorry!" She whimpered softly. "I know you don't like hugs, but it's been so long since I've seen you…I missed you Mr. Piccolo."

Piccolo was surprised to be sure, and had he not known that they were too far away from the others to be seen, he would have removed her instantly. As it was, he awkwardly wrapped an arm around her, more than he'd done for Gohan. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but he was slightly touched that she seemed to care for him. He'd never had many friends, Gohan was the first, and he supposed Goku, but he'd rather not get so carried away. The others still seemed skittish around him, and Goku's harpy of a wife certainly despised him.

When he felt as if the hug had gone on long enough, he removed his arm, and Shoyu pulled away. He looked down at the girl, as she tried to pull herself together. He placed his hand on her head, slightly ruffling her hair as he did to her brother.

"Are you okay?" He asked her.

Shoyu flashed him a bright smile, and nodded. "Yes. Thank you Piccolo." She said.

Piccolo looked at her as if contemplating something. After a few moments, he seemed to have decided. He gave her a small grin, the one usually reserved for Gohan, and said, "What happened to Mr. Piccolo?"

Authors Note: I decided to leave this chapter at this point for several reasons. 1: I don't have much time left before I have to go home. 2. We all know what happens next in the conversation. 3. I love Piccolo and think that in this situation, he would say something to make her feel better.

I hope you liked this chapter, and I'll try to update soon.

~Kiera


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z. It is owned by Akira Toriyama.

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><p>Authors Note: I apologize for the lateness in updates. I've recently moved and a bunch of crap happened and I just now got to a computer for enough time to type the story. I hope you like it and remember to review and let me know what you think!<p>

~Kiera

Text

"Talking"

_Thinking_

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><p>Chapter Three<p>

Shoyu turned just in time to see Trunks and Goku powering up. She and Piccolo watched as a mini battle erupted, finally finishing with Goku as the winner. She grinned.

"Trunks has been waiting a long time to do that." She explained. "Goku is sort of like his idol. The perfect warrior he said."

Piccolo grunted and said, "Hardly. I've known Goku for years, and like all of us he makes mistakes, some more than necessary."

"That's what I've been told." Shoyu said, "He forgives to easily."

They took to the air, flying quickly back to the others. When they'd landed, Shoyu asked, "Did you give him the medicine?"

"Oh!" Trunks said, "Goku, I almost forgot. This is the medicine that will cure you. Take it when you get sick."

"Thanks. Ooh!" He squealed happily. "It's purple. Bet it's grape flavored!"

Shoyu smiled at her father's childish ways.

"Hey, Hun," Trunks asked. "Are you about ready?"

Shoyu's smile dropped a fraction. "I suppose so." She said softly.

She turned and smiled at the others. "It was nice meeting you." she said happily. "I guess we'll see you later then."

Trunks said, "Hold on a second, come over here for a minute."

Shoyu looked confused. "Aren't we leaving?"

Trunks just smiled at her and led her away.

"Okay…" Shoyu said.

When they were far enough away Trunks asked her, "Do you want to stay here?"

"What are you talking about! I can't leave you to the mercy of those Androids! We can barely take them together! You can't handle them alone!" Shoyu declared. "I can't let you go alone!"

Trunks smiled at her knowingly. "I know you, Shoyu. You want to come back with me to protect me. But you also want to stay here to get to know your father. It's okay. I'm going to be fine. Stay here. I know how much you want to get to know Goku."

"Your right. I do want to get to know him." Shoyu said vaguely, her mind elsewhere.

Trunks nodded. "I understand. I'll tell mother that you chose to stay here to help them train. You're stronger than them right now, so she probably won't say much about it. Just be careful. I love you." He ran his fingers through her bangs, moving them out of her eyes. He stared into her shining grey eyes.

"I love you too, Trunks." Shoyu kissed him softly. "I'll miss you."

"Three years seems like a bit much, you sure you won't find someone else while I'm gone?" he asked jokingly.

"It'll be hard, but I think I'll manage." Shoyu grinned back.

"When this is all over, we'll be able to get married." Trunks told her. "We can have two, one here and the other in the future. Can't leave anyone out." he laughed.

Shoyu giggled then kissed him again. "Bye Trunks."

"Goodbye, Shoyu." he pulled out the box of capsules. Choosing the correct one, he tossed it to the ground, and with a bang and lots of dust, the time machine sat waiting. He kissed her one last time before climbing into the ship.

Shoyu blinked back tears as she flew back toward the others. She landed before them just as her father finished telling them the bad news. Almost at once Vegeta turned on her.

"You! Girl! I demand to know what this rubbish is about!" He ordered her with a glare on his face.

Shoyu narrowed her eyes. "What Goku spoke of is the truth, I have nothing more to add. And by the way, I won't automatically bow to your every command. If you want to know something, ask me politely, if not, keep your mouth shut!"

Vegeta sputtered loudly before swearing and flying off in the direction of capsule corp.

The others looked to Shoyu with awe. She blankly stared back. "What?" She asked.

"No one's told Vegeta off before and not gotten hit." Yamcha said staring at her. "You're the first."

"I'm sure I'm not the first." Shoyu smiled waving the compliment off. "He is a bit of an ass though…"

Bulma laughed and said. "Your right he is. Not to mention he's stubborn, nosy, commanding…"

Gohan giggled softly.

Suddenly, a flash of light filled the sky, and they all looked up to see Trunks in the ship, smiling down at them, waving. Shoyu smiled and waved back. He saluted then with a second flash of light, he was gone.

Shoyu fought back the tears that were threatening to overwhelm her when Goku's voice brought her back from her thoughts.

"Hey." Goku said scratching his head, "You never did tell us your name?"

Shoyu paled and tried to come up with something on the spot.

"I'm sorry…I'm not really supposed to say right now…but I suppose since I'm staying here to train with you all, you'll need to call me something besides "Hey you! Or Girl." she giggled lightly. "Um…how about you just call me…Ess for short. Or Shu…something like that…" she screwed her face into a frown.

Gohan made a face. "I don't know…Shu sounds like a boys name…"

Shoyu blushed. "Ah! Sorry. Haha. I've never made up my own name before."

The others laughed.

"Oh! I know! How about we call you Shu-chan! That way it sounds like a girls name!" Bulma said with a bright smile.

Shoyu smiled to herself. _The same name the future Bulma calls me by. _"That's fine."

"Shu-chan it is then." Yamcha grinned. "So Shu-chan, is that purple haired boy your boyfriend or what?"

Bulma hit him on his arm. "Yamcha! That's not something you should ask her! It sounds like you're asking her if she's single or not!"

Shoyu blushed. "Actually, he's my fiancé."

"But your so young!" Tien said in shock.

"I'm eighteen, but yes. I suppose I am young. After all this is over we're getting married. I won't be that young then."

"I see." Goku said, "You want to wait out the threat and make sure the earth is at peace before getting married."

"Exactly." Shoyu smiled.

"Hey guys, I have to get back, dad said he needed help with something after I was done." Bulma said apologetically. " Coming Yamcha? Pu'ar?"

"Coming Bulma." The two said in unison. "It was nice meeting you Shu-chan!"

"Same here." she said.

"Well, I think I'm going to go train." Tien said. "I don't know how much help I'll be when the time comes, but I should get started."

"Okay. See ya." Goku said.

"Bye!" Gohan called as Tien and Chaotzu flew off.

"Hey Piccolo, want to train with Gohan and me?" Goku asked his friend.

"Sure." he said as he noticed Gohan's hopeful face.

"Cool. You can stay with us during that time." Goku said.

Piccolo grimaced at the thought. "I don't think your wife will like that Goku." he said. "She doesn't like me very much since I kidnapped Gohan."

Goku laughed. "She'll be fine." he assured him.

They were almost ready to leave.

"Um…" Shoyu said, catching Goku's attention. "If it's not too much trouble, could I go and train with you guys?"

Gohan's eyes lit up, as he pleaded with his father.

Goku shrugged and looked to Piccolo. "What do you think, Piccolo?"

Piccolo shot a look at Shoyu. _She looks nervous. Probably want's to get to know her father. _"Sure." he said. "It's fine with me."

Shoyu's face lit with excitement.

"If it's fine with Piccolo, I'm okay with it." Goku said, grinning at her.

"Thank you." Shoyu said happily.

"Think nothing of it." Goku said. "Home is this way." he took to the sky, and she, Gohan and Piccolo followed him.

She knew where he lived, after all, she did visit the old house, but she let him lead the way. Soon they were flying over the mountains. She sighed. "It's so pretty here."

"Yeah. I love it!" Gohan said.

They flew for a half hour before she caught sight of the little house. "There it is!" Gohan said excitedly. They dropped from the sky and landed softly on the lawn.

Goku motioned them toward the house, but both Piccolo and Shoyu stood back. "You haven't seen your wife in so long…we can wait here for a while." Shoyu told him.

"Are you sure?" Goku said.

"Yeah. Go on." Piccolo said gruffly.

With a shrug father and son walked calmly into the house. Shoyu smiled sadly as she heard her mother's happy screams and tears.

* * *

><p>"You okay?" Piccolo asked her softly.<p>

"Hm?" Shoyu asked. "What do you mean?"

"You seem upset for some reason." he replied uneasily. He still wasn't used to expressing emotions.

"Oh! No I'm fine." Shoyu said quickly. "It's just a little weird to meet my father for the first time. Trunks seemed really disappointed by Vegeta though." She said thoughtfully.

Piccolo smirked with humor. "Yes, he can be a disappointment." he joked awkwardly, not used to the practice.

Shoyu snickered.

After a few moments they were both meditating, floating in identical lotus positions, while the sky darkened around them, and the moon began to peak over the trees. Shoyu sighed with contentment. _I missed this. _She thought. _I'm glad I stayed._


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do now own Dragon Ball Z. It belongs to Akira Toriyama. I make no money from this story.

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><p>Chapter Four<p>

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><p>Shoyu snapped out of her meditative state as she heard her mother's screams. She winced at the sound, but kept her eyes closed, though, listening silently. She hoped Piccolo was too deep into his meditation to hear her, although it seemed a bit of a stretch.<p>

"No! I will not have that monster staying under my roof, with my impressionable little boy! It's bad enough that he kidnapped Gohan, but to ask me to let him stay here is too much Goku! I forbid it!" Chi-Chi yelled angrily.

"But Chi-Chi, we only have three years to train, and Gohan needs to help!" Goku said, "I promise, he probably won't even end up fighting the bad guys, but we need to be prepared."

"Absolutely not! I let Gohan go to Namek, under the strict instructions that he make sure to study while he was there. He disobeyed me, Goku! My little baby is growing up to be a thug, and I will not have it!

He should be studying in his room, safely hidden away from monsters and evil villains that would seek to do him harm! How can I protect my boy if you insist on introducing him to more and more of your muscle-bound friends!" Chi-Chi screamed, but then softened tone, "By the way, Goku, who is that girl that came with you and Gohan? She doesn't look like a fighter. What is she doing here?"

That Goku could answer. "She came with the boy from the future." He explained, "They came to warn us of the danger. Neither of them can say their true names, as they haven't been born into our timeline yet, but she said we can call her Shu-chan."

"I see." Chi-Chi said softly. "Why did she stay here, instead of leaving with the boy?"

"She said she wanted to train." Goku said, "Apparently the androids are too strong for them, and they barely escape with their lives. It's safer for her here, and this way she can train properly. Gohan likes her." he added as an afterthought, thinking that Chi-Chi would warm up to her more.

"That's good. Well then, I suppose I can let her stay, but I will not let that demon step foot into my house." Chi-Chi concluded as she wiped her hands on her apron. "I'll go and bring her inside. It's too cold to spend the night out there."

With that Chi-Chi walked to the door and upon opening it, gasped, "Goku! Get him away from her! He could turn on her at a moments notice!"

Shoyu opened her eyes, then, furious at the blatantly rude accusations directed at her mentor. She opened her mouth to say something, but Piccolo raised his hand.

"Don't bother, she'll think what she wants to think. Nothing you say will change the way she feels. I'm more comfortable outside anyway. I can leave when she starts yelling."

Shoyu grinned as she caught his smirk. "Lucky. I'm gonna be stuck inside with it."

Piccolo chuckled so softly, she almost didn't hear it. "If it gets to be too much, just come outside. We can have a spar. You said I trained you, I want to see if you're up to par."

"You're on." Shoyu agreed. "Tomorrow night?"

"Fine." he said, "But the harpy is coming over here."

Shoyu closed her eyes and kept her position.

"Excuse me, Shu-chan?" Chi-Chi asked. "It's getting cold. Wouldn't you like to come inside? Goku is setting up the spare room."

Shoyu opened her eyes, to see that what Trunk's mother said was true. She was an older version of herself. Maybe it was a mistake to stay here, they would be sure to realize who she was, who her father was when they saw her and Chi-Chi side by side..

"I don't want to be a bother." Shoyu said softly, still stunned by the resemblance.

"It's no bother, dear, you're most definitely welcome." Chi-Chi said, she too was struck by this girl who was an almost a carbon copy of herself when she was younger. "Please, we're thrilled to have you stay with us."

Shoyu's eyes narrowed slightly as she stressed the 'you'. Her mother needed an attitude adjustment, and quick. _There's only so much rudeness I can take, but if she continues to insult Mr. Piccolo, I will become very angry._

Chi-Chi rambled on, ignorant of Shoyu's momentary lapse of manners. "Come on inside, I'm just getting ready to serve dinner." She turned and led Shoyu toward the house.

Shoyu followed, albeit reluctant to leave Piccolo to his own devices. He ignored her though, and continued to meditate. Shoyu smiled softly and followed her mother.

"Through here is the living area," Chi-Chi said, going into full hostess mode. "And over here is the dining room."

Shoyu was led through rooms that, in the future, were bare of anything that would remind one that someone had ever lived in them.

"This is the kitchen, and upstairs is Mine and Goku's room, down the hall is Gohan's and you're room is over here." Chi-Chi said, "Across from Gohan's room."

Shoyu smiled. "Thank you, Mrs. Son." She said softly.

"Chi-Chi's fine dear." She assured her, "Now come into the dining room. I'll set out the plates."

Shoyu followed her, and sat at the table.

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><p>Soon there was a mountain of food, and three hungry saiyan's easily going through plate after plate. Shoyu was more reserved than her father and brother, and only ate as much as Chi-Chi did, though she was still hungry. If she ate as much as she wanted to, it would definitely give away her parentage.<p>

After dinner Shoyu asked for a glass of water. Chi-Chi happily gave it to her, glad that she was opening up. Shoyu thanked her and left the room.

"What is she doing?" Chi-Chi asked her husband as the three watched Shoyu slip her shoes on. She opened the door and exited the house.

Carefully she walked across the large lawn, making her way toward Piccolo. Chi-Chi silently fumed as she watched her stop in front of him.

Piccolo was aware of a presence standing near him. Without opening his eyes, he spoke. "Had enough already?"

Shoyu giggled. "I brought you some water." She said. "I know you don't eat."

Piccolo opened his eyes, and smiled, and took the glass. He drained it easily, and handed it back to her. "Thanks kid." He said, causing her to smile brightly.

"I'll let you get back to meditating now." Shoyu said, "I need to return the glass."

Piccolo didn't answer her, but Shoyu knew he heard her. She returned to the house, a small smile on her face. _He's just the same. _She thought happily. _I'm glad to know that. He won't change much, but that's a good thing._

Shoyu placed the glass in the sink. She then made her way toward her room, when she spotted a photo on the mantle. Shoyu smiled sadly as viewed it. Her father, mother, and brother Gohan were smiling back at her. The scene was that of a forest, with a blanket spread out behind them.

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><p>"That was before he was kidnapped. A month before." Chi-Chi said softly, coming up from behind her. "I think back to those days, and I wish I could go back, and stop Goku from taking Gohan with him."<p>

Shoyu looked at her mother. She was surprised to see tears in her eyes.

"I say that, but sometimes, I think that maybe…things have played out the way they were meant to." Chi-Chi said.

Shoyu gently placed her hand on her shoulder. "It is the way it was meant to be." She told her as she stared at the picture. "In the future, I was raised almost from birth by Gohan…and Piccolo." She confessed.

At the mention of the demon's name, Chi-Chi snapped her face toward Shoyu's, shock evident in her eyes.

Shoyu continued, eyes on the picture. "My father died shortly before I was born, and even though my mother was heartbroken, she still gave birth to me. She was killed in a raid, by the androids that now rule our city. I was found in my cradle, with part of the ceiling covering it." She then turned her eyes on her mother.

"Piccolo rescued me, and took me to where he and Gohan were training. I never got to know my parents, but I do know, that as far as character goes, both of them, Gohan and Mr. Piccolo, are very good people. I love them both very much."

Chi-Chi asked, "He saved you?"

"Yes." Shoyu nodded. "In the future, everything is desolate. Destroyed by the androids. Piccolo and Gohan were the only ones left. They trained both me and my fiancé, from the time we were little, until we were thirteen."

"What happened when you were thirteen?" Chi-Chi asked softly.

"We'd split up. Gohan had taken my fiancé, and I went with Piccolo. We were looking for survivors, when we were ambushed. He took a death blow to save me." Shoyu said. "It was the hardest thing I've ever had to deal with, but he told me he was proud of me for being brave, and that he knew I would one day defeat the androids and secure the peace for the remaining earthlings."

A tear fell from Shoyu's eyes. "I missed him terribly these past years. That was the main reason I stayed." She explained, "I understand that you don't much like him for taking Gohan, but trust me. If he hadn't, Gohan would have died when the androids first attacked. It's better that he knows how to fight, because that not only saved him, but many others as well. Gohan is a hero, Chi-Chi, as is Piccolo."

"Please try to understand. He tries so hard, and never gets any recognition, only fear and hatred inspired by his father." Shoyu turned to her mother. "I was never afraid of him, and neither was Gohan. He's our friend, and even though Goku fought him many years ago, he's become friends with him too. Many say that Goku gives his enemy's the benefit of the doubt, trusts them too easily, but everyone he befriends has turned out good in the end."

"I…I didn't know." Chi-Chi admitted, "I guess I never tried to see it that way before. Gohan said he saved his life. Is that true as well?"

"Yes." Shoyu smiled. "He's saved us all many times."

Chi-Chi cast her eyes downward. "I…I need to apologize to him." she said softly. "I've been horrible."

"You just didn't know." Shoyu told her. "Maybe we all should trust a little more, like Goku. He seems to get it." She smiled.

"You're right." Her mother agreed. "I'll just go and talk to Piccolo now."

"Thank you. Good night." Shoyu said.

"Good night Shu-chan." Chi-Chi said warmly. "I'll see you in the morning."

With that Chi-Chi exited the house.

Shoyu smiled happily as she climbed into bed. _I'm glad she finally gets it. _She thought to herself as she pulled the covers up under her chin. She giggled. _He's in for the shock of a lifetime._

* * *

><p>As she was falling asleep she heard voices.<p>

"I'm proud of you Chi-Chi." Goku said as he hugged his wife. "Piccolo is a good guy, and he deserves our thanks."

"I know…it was hard to look beyond the past and see the truth behind everything that's happened over the past few years." She admitted. "Shu-chan helped me see him for who he is. A good person who saved my son's life. I'm glad she came here."

"Me too, Chi-Chi, me too."

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><p>AN: Two chapters in such a short amount of time. I'm either really bored, or just in a better mood. Haha. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and please review and let me know what you think.

~Kiera


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Dragon Ball Z is owned by Funimation, Toei animation, Fuji TV and Akira Toriyama, please support the official release. …This means I own nothing and make no money.

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><p>Chapter Five<p>

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><p>The branches above them were shining in the moonlight, as Goku and Gohan attempted to set up their tent. They had been at it for several hours now, as Gohan tried to explain how it was done, and Goku continued to knock it down.<p>

Piccolo growled with annoyance, as he hovered a foot above the ground. Shoyu winced. Their arguing had to be grating on his last nerve, as even she was getting a headache.

"Enough, you two!" Shoyu said. "Goku, please just let Gohan and I set up the tent. You like to fish right? So go catch a fish or something."

Goku's eyes brightened. "Hey! That's an idea! I'll catch a big one." With that, he took to the air, searching for the closest lake.

Shoyu watched him go with a fond smile on her face. When she turned, she was met by Gohan's curious stare. "What?" She asked.

"You sounded like my mom just then." Gohan said, thinking aloud. "What are you? My long lost sister or something?"

Shoyu paled slightly, before she heard Gohan laugh. "Haha. That's funny Gohan." She said, laughing along with him.

When he turned to set the tent, finally, she sighed with relief.

_He scared me for a second there. _She thought as she helped him.

Twenty minutes later Goku returned with a huge fish. Shoyu's mouth watered at the sight, as she loved seafood.

When they had eaten their fill, which meant that Goku had gone to get a second large fish, she took the plates to the river to wash them. She sighed as she returned to the camp. Goku and Piccolo were having a light spar before bed, and Gohan was fiddling with something as he rested against a tree.

Shoyu went to sit with him, and brought along her book. Nothing like a bit of light reading before bed. She winced as she suddenly remembered what Chi-chi had asked her before they had left two weeks ago.

* * *

><p>"<em>Shu-chan! Before you go, will you do me a favor?" Chi-chi called as Shoyu opened the door. She turned back.<em>

"_Sure Chi-chi, what is it?"_

_She was handed a huge bag of schoolbooks. "Please make sure Gohan studies while he isn't training." Chi-chi whispered. "I can't have him falling behind in his schoolwork. He's such a bright little boy as I'm sure you understand."_

_Shoyu sighed lightly as she hefted the bag on her shoulder. "I'll do what I can, Chi-chi, but there's not much I can do if Goku wants him training instead of reading."_

_Chi-chi's eyes narrowed. "That Goku." She said. "He would rather our son grow up without an education like him, but Saiyan or not, he's still my little boy, and he's going to have to accept that what I say goes." She said with a stern look toward her unsuspecting husband. "Oh and I have something for you too!"_

_Shoyu was shocked, but only slightly. Chi-chi really was a very kind woman, always thinking of others. She was embarrassed, but a bit pleased that she was receiving a present from her mother._

"_Here you go Shu-chan!" Chi-chi said, handing her a book. "You said you liked to read right? This is one of my favorite novels!"_

"_Are you sure it's okay to give it to me?" Shoyu asked. "I will be training after all. I wouldn't want it getting messed up."_

"_Nonsense. I know you'll take good care of it." _

"_Thanks." She said with a smile. "Well, I'll be off then."_

"_Bye!" _

"_Bye mom!"_

"_See you in three months Chi-chi!"_

* * *

><p>Shoyu dug into her bag and pulled out Gohan's math book. <em>Advanced Trig? <em>She thought in amazement. _I know Nii-chan was smart, but this is ridiculous._

"Gohan." She said as she sat next to him. "I'm sorry, but you're mom made me bring this. She said to make you study. Apparently she's making a test covering the next ten chapters for when you get home."

"Wow." Gohan said, "That's less than last time. When I was on Namek I had to read thirty chapters."

"…!" Shoyu stared in shock.

"Seems mom is finally letting up a bit." Gohan said happily as he began his homework.

"This is…letting up?" She muttered.

Shaking her head, she opened the book and began to read.

After two hours of sitting still, she noticed that the sounds of fighting had stopped. She felt eyes on her and looked up. Goku and Piccolo were looking at the two of them, one with boredom, and the other shock.

"Gohan…" Goku said. "You don't need to study out here, your mom isn't here you know."

"Mom sent Shu-chan with my books. She's making a test to make sure I did study." Gohan said.

Goku looked at Shoyu then. "Chi-chi asked you to make Gohan study? But why?"

Shoyu shrugged. "Well, it is important."

Goku looked like he'd been shot.

"Well it is!" She defended. "Besides, you should be proud. Gohan's intelligence is way above his age range, and he's a good fighter. You really should nurture both, not just one. Both you and Chi-chi should to come up with a compromise."

Goku looked to be thinking it over. He then nodded. "You're right."

"I know I'm right. Even with fighting, if you don't have brain smarts, you can only be so successful. If you can think of a strategy you'll be much better off." Shoyu said as she stretched.

"As much as it pains me to agree in this situation, Goku, the girl's right. You don't think before you act. That's why you got beat so badly on Namek. You didn't have a plan." Piccolo said.

Goku frowned slightly put out that everyone was against him. He turned to Shoyu, "What about you? Did Chi-chi give you some homework too?"

She smiled. "No, I got a book instead."

At Goku's horrified expression she said, "Not to study, to read for fun. Relaxation when we aren't training."

Gohan giggled lightly at his father's confused look. "Dad can't read very well, so books aren't his idea of fun." He confided.

Shoyu's playful smirk fell as she heard him. "Goku, while we're out here, when you're taking a break, I'll help you to read better."

He smiled brightly before agreeing. _Chi-chi will be very happy if I do that!_

* * *

><p>That night before bed, Shoyu carefully put the book aside, and headed to the nearby stream to wash her face. As she was washing her hands she heard the whisper of footsteps sliding through the grass. She turned to see Piccolo begin to hover. She began to make her way quietly back to camp. Gently rising into the air, she smiled at the meditating Piccolo before a huge gust of wind caught her, and her jacket flapped in the violently.<p>

"Ah!" She gasped as several photo's flew from her pocket. With horror she watched on as they were headed for the river. Putting on a burst of speed, she caught a few before they hit the water, but the last one was too far for her to reach.

She dropped from the air onto solid ground. Those photo's were very important to her and she'd lost one.

She looked at the ones left. Her and Trunks in the middle of an intense spar, dressed in their best for a memorial service for their parents, Gohan when she was four, proudly holding up her hand in victory, and…

"You dropped this." She heard.

Turning she saw the photo she thought she had lost. "Thanks Piccolo." she said gratefully as she took it.

"When was this taken?" He asked.

"When I was six." She replied with a smile. "We weren't expecting it."

She grinned as she remembered.

_Shoyu ran outside her tent as she tightened her belt. she saw Trunks standing there waiting for her. _

"_Hey Trunks!" She said cheerfully. "Let have fun today, kay?"_

"_Yeah!" Trunks said. _

"_Where's Mr. Piccolo?" Shoyu asked, looking around. _

"_He went to get some water." Trunks said before asking. "Hey Shoyu?"_

"_Hm?" She asked. _

"_Why does Piccolo like you best?" There was a light blush on his face._

_Shoyu giggled. "Because I don't skip out on the training."_

"_Oh." Trunks said, embarrassed. _

_Shoyu began to do her stretches. _

"_Um… Shoyu?" Trunks said._

"_Yeah?"_

"_Why did Gohan just take a picture of us?"_

_Shoyu looked up and grinned. "Silly!" She said, straightening her belt again. "Mr. Piccolo doesn't like camera's. Nii-chan wouldn't bring one to camp!"_

_Another flash. _

"_He just took another one…"_

_She giggled. "Silly Trunks!"_

* * *

><p>She told Piccolo the story, and just hearing it made his ear twitch slightly.<p>

"Well, I'm going to go to bed now, see you in the morning for meditation!" She said as she flew off.

Once in her tent, she formed a ball of Ki, and let it float gently by her side. She took out the pictures again and rifled through it. She blushed. "Good thing he didn't catch this one." She said to herself as she viewed the photo.

Gohan must have just gotten the camera from Bulma, because this was the oldest photo she had. It was a week after she'd been rescued from the rubble of her parent's home. She must have been colicky or something, because Piccolo looked as if he hadn't slept in days. His clothing was mussed and he'd fallen asleep. Not the kind he did when he meditated, but real sleep.

Piccolo was asleep leaning against a slightly crushed bush, and she, only weeks old, was cradled carefully so he didn't drop her. The baby was sleeping soundly against his chest, her thumb in her mouth. This was the only picture of Piccolo she had, because he'd been so exhausted he actually fell asleep, and so he never knew it had been taken.

_Yeah, definitely glad he didn't see this one. _She absorbed the Ki back inside her and closed her eyes.

* * *

><p>Authors Note: Sorry for the lack of updates, but I just got a job! Finally after a year and a half! It's at a daycare, so I've been very tired, but I finally made time to update this.<p>

Hope you enjoyed it, and as always, please review and let me know what you think.

~Kiera


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